Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SEGRALCS (Predictive tool of seagrass health to optimize the design of low crested structures in the Mediterranean Sea)
Reporting period: 2023-05-01 to 2025-10-31
Regarding morphological impacts, damage functions for burial and erosion levels were developed for different seagrass species using data from laboratory experiments and field studies available in the literature. The search was extended to all seagrass species worldwide. The species included in the analysis were Cymodocea nodosa, Cymodocea serrulate, Posidonia oceanica, Zostera noltii, Zostera marina, Halophila ovalis, Halodule uninervis, and Syringodium isoetifolium. Burial and erosion thresholds for 50% and 100% mortality of shoots were extracted. At 50% mortality, some species showed the capacity to recover from these impacts, whereas at 100% mortality, shoot death was observed to be independent of the duration, frequency or timing of events. The results of this project can also be applied to the design of sand fills to conserve adjacent seagrasses by gradually distributing sand across the beach profile and avoiding burial levels that exceed the identified mortality thresholds.
Additionally, literature data on the design of breakwater armour units were compiled and analyzed to identify design criteria that optimize the ecological function of breakwaters and reduce the carbon footprint of concrete production. Implementation barriers that need to be addressed for effective implementation and broader adoption of more sustainable and multifunctional coastal defences were also proposed.
The participation in leading national and international coastal engineering conferences allowed for the dissemination of results and engagement with the scientific community interested in innovative advances related to Nature-based Solutions, and engineering consultancies as end-users of the project results to integrate them into their projects. The dissemination of results at conferences and during the secondment also facilitated collaborations with researchers working in the same field.
The project contributes to the conservation of seagrasses, which play an important role in cleaning and improving the quality of water in coastal regions. The construction of breakwaters also benefits to society as beach users and protects the population settled in the coastal zone from extreme hydrometeorological events.